


A Thirst For Blood.

by kyuhyeoni (orphan_account)



Series: Unfinished WIP [1]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Near gun fights and past murders but nothing too graphic really, Wild West AU, tagging just to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 05:28:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7421752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/kyuhyeoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two lonesome riders. Two ways to get by. One goal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thirst For Blood.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old work in progress that has been wobling around on my laptop for far too long. It isn't finished, and i'm pretty sure i won't finish it anytime soon so i decided to upload it and maybe one i will find my muse for it again.
> 
> There's a brief mention of past rape and murder but as said in the tag it's nothing too graphic. Better be safe than sorry.
> 
> Also note that english isn't my first language and only looked through this once before uploading :I

A rustle of papers and a line of tobacco followed by a spark of fire is how Yunho starts all his mornings. Today is no different. He accidentally rocks in the rocking chair, placed on the porch of the cabin he had rented a room in last night. Some of the tobacco slips off the paper and he curses under his breath.

 

He brushes the tobacco off and rolls his cigarette, before lighting it up and taking the first long drag of his morning smoke.

 

There’s not much tobacco left and he’s broke. Spending his last money on a room maybe didn’t turn out to be the best idea, but Yunho doesn’t like spending the night in the open when passing through a town. He has been here for a few days and he rather likes it here. He even thought about settling down, maybe smooth talk the sheriff into a job, until the everlasting guilt hit him again. He had to leave, and it had to be today or else he might get stuck on the idea of settling down again.

However, now he just want to enjoy his morning smoke.  
  
  
The enjoyment doesn’t last for long though. A cough takes Yunho out of his own thoughts. He looks up from under his hat and his eyes meets the town banker’s.

 

“Mr. Jung I’ve been informed of your past doings.”

  
Yunho takes another drag of the cigarette. Past doings can either be positive, or very negative. He tries to read the banker’s expression. He looks determined, like a real business man, when he passes Yunho a piece of paper.

 

“I want him. Dead or alive. Dead prefered actually. For a price of course.”

 

As sent from heaven Yunho thinks to himself as he grabs the picture from the banker’s hand. He looks the face on the photo over. Sharp cheekbones and mismatched eyes. He will be easy to find.

 

Yunho nods and folds the picture to put it in his shirt pocket.

 

“That son of a bastard left this morning. If you’re quick I’m sure you’ll catch him in no time.”

 

Yunho takes one last drag from his cigarette, before stubbing it and getting up from the rocking chair. All thoughts about settling down left, he readies his horse and takes off without as much as a farewell to anyone. The lonely road is all he knows anyway.

 

 

  
***

 

 

“There's a bounty on your head.”

 

Changmin tsk’s and scratches his neck with the back of his dagger.

 

“Do you even know what it's for? Small shit i tell you. Robbery. Not a big deal.”

 

The sun is burning Yunho face and in response he readjusts his hat. The leather string clings softly against his chest. He shrugs and looks up from under his hat.

 

“Still a crime. A crime that can come in my favor.”  
  
He smirks and presses his thumb and index finger together, stroking them softly against each other.

 

“And killing a partial innocent man isn't a crime?”

 

Changmin grabs the headgear of his horse a bit tighter as he looks up at the man on the white horse. He can see his large hand resting on top of his roughed up gun holster.

 

“Crime is crime. I have no respect left for sinners.”

 

“Not even a sinner willing to share his gold, dear mr. Bounty hunter huh?” He taps the tiny leather bag attached to his belt.

 

“I doubt you can out pay your bounty with that.”

 

Yunho nods to his belt and Changmin knows he's right. What he hadn't spend on booze and food he had spend on treats and a new headgear for his horse.

 

“However… I could be willing to compromise.”

 

He scratches his stubbles and smiles.

 

“Do a poley gunless thing like you have any special talents?”

 

Changmin doesn’t say a word. He just reaches for his whip and with a quick wham Yunho’s hat is on the ground. Yunho who usually has pride in his reflexes, hadn't even managed to raise his gun. He seems startled at first. Changmin has a proud expression on his face as he tugs his whip back in his belt.

 

“What is that for a talent huh” Changmin says, way too self confident considering his currently vulnerable position.

 

Yunho nods.

 

“Impressive.”

 

Yunho throws him a gun and Changmin catches it with ease.

 

“You don’t kill me, I don't kill you. Deal?”

 

Changmin tugs the gun in the front of his belt. He silently walks over to get the man’s hat from the ground, dusts it off and hands it to him.

 

“Deal.”

 

There's a smile on both of their faces. A smile of agreement, not yet familiar enough to be one of trust.

 

They slowly trot along the open grounds of the west. Yunho is keeping himself three steps in front of Changmin as a show of dominance. Changmin finds it pleasing. It will make it easier to kill the other man if it shows necessary. Uncertainty is washing over him. Why did Yunho spare his life? Most bounty hunters wouldn't even have thought twice about pulling their gun. Most bounty hunters would never have trusted anyone but themselves on their journey.

 

The sun is shining down on them and the heat is making Changmin consider taking off his denim and sheep jacket. He doesn’t. There's a small knife and bottle of water he doesn't dare losing.

 

“So you know how to shoot a pistol as well as you can swing a whip, Poley?”

 

Changmin looks at exasperated at Yunho’s back.

 

“My name is Changmin, not Poley thank you very much and what do you take me for? ‘Course i do. However, i prefer my whip.”

 

He pats the whip in his belt. He had gotten it from his father just a day before bandits had shot him and taken all worth from their now sheriff-less town.  
It had been bloody, and the 14 year old Changmin who claimed to have no fear, had hid behind his sobbing mother as the lifeless body was carried out of the sheriff office.

 

That day he had tugged his whip down his belt and promised himself to never lose it. Soon after his mother had handed him his first pistol. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough to protect them until his mother was hit by a most violent cold. Changmin had cared for her as much as he could while still taking care of his job as the new sheriffs helper. It wasn't a shock when he one day came home to a lifeless body. That didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

 

16 and alone in the world he had decided to saddle up the family's horse and leave the town behind in search of revenge. Since then he had been living as free a life as he could. He had managed to survive for two years now. He had kept track of time on his curled note pad.

 

“A whip is truly impressive, but it will slow you down son.”

 

Changmin rolls his eyes.

 

“Should i whip your hat off once again? Would you manage to get your pistol out of the holster fast enough this time? Maybe i could whip your horse to cause panic. A whip carries a lot of possibilities a pistol doesn't.”

 

Changmin can see Yunho shrugging his shoulders from behind. His heavy poncho moves along his broad shoulders in an elegant swipe.

 

“A whip will do you no good in a gunfight. One pull on the trigger and you’ll be down Poley.”

 

Changmin has a lot of retorts bottled up, but he suppose Yunho gets this one as well. He can't deny that he’s grateful to have the liberty of a pistol once again anyway.

 

“So Yunho, how do i know you're not just taking me straight to the sheriff?”

 

“You mean the banker. He didn't say dead or alive.”

 

Oh, Realisation falls om Changmin.

 

“Oh.”

 

Yunho turns his head, a grin plastered on his face.

 

“You must've really stolen a lot to piss him off like that.”

 

“...Yeah, i also laid with his wife.”

 

Yunho’s face scrunches up. He makes his horse slow down and in few steps He’s beside Changmin. He looks at him as they keep their horses trotting at the same pace. He finally laughs. It's hysterical and Changmin raises his eyebrow at him.

 

“What's so funny?”

 

“Isn't the banker’s wife a little too old for you? You barely have stubbles.” Yunho raises his finger to point at Changmin’s barely there stubbles.

 

Changmin hufs.

“I’m not that young, but i suppose she would've been a better match for you, oldie.”

 

Yunho knows he's referring to the few dark grey hairs showing from under his hat. They are few and usually not noticeable mixed with his black hair, but his unkempt grey stubbles makes it just that more noticeable.

 

“What are you? Like 40?”

 

“I’m 27 thank you very much.”

 

“nine years my senior then.”

 

Yunho grabs the reins of the horse tack a little tighter. Jihye would've been eighteen as well by now.

 

“Why aren't you at home with your family?” he asks without a hint of judgement in his voice. If anything Changmin spots a hint of concern.

 

“I haven’t had a home for two years now. I no longer have any family left. My pa was killed and ma passed away.”

 

Yunho looks at him with sympathy in his eyes. He can relate.

 

“I’m sad to hear.” He says. He doesn't mention his own grief. By now he's grown comfortable with keeping his past and the grief that follows him to this day hidden.

 

“I’ve put my share of misery behind me. It seems far away at this point. As if i never had any family at all anyway. However,”

 

Changmin looks up towards the sun.

 

“One day i will find the bandits who killed my father and i will get my revenge. The Choi brothers will get what they deserve.”

 

Yunho puts his horse to a halt at that. He feels his hands shake. Changmin realises that Yunho isn't next to him anymore and turns his horse around.

  
“The Choi brothers?” Yunho asks, voice weak.

 

Changmin nods. Suspicion paints his face and he lets his hand rest over the pistol. Maybe he has revealed too much.

 

Yunho shakes his head.

 

“Don't worry. Actually you should do quite the opposite. I’m after the Choi Brothers as well.”

 

Changmin loosens up, but keeps his hand at his gun.

 

“What's your story then oldie?” He asks.

 

The skies are turning darker. Night is soon falling. Yunho looks up.

 

“Let's take rest for the night here. You must be hungry as well as i am. I will tell you over some beans.”

 

Changmin nods. He’s used to going long miserable days without food, so even if it isn’t anything but beans, he gives in.

 

They settle behind some rocks. They won't be noticed by bypassers and it gives them a sense of fake safety. Nowhere is safe in the wild. Especially not for a bounty hunter and a thief.

 

Yunho has taken his hat off, and Changmin has snuggled himself up in the carpet he always carries along. They’ve seated themselves around the small fire place Yunho had cooked the beans over. Changmin takes a spoonful of beans to his mouth as Yunho finishes chewing a big mouthful.

 

“5 years ago my sister was raped and murdered. I had business to tend to at the banker, so she had taken care of the store for me for the hour. When i came back she was lying on the floor, throat slit, clothes torn and body covered in sperm. The money were gone as well. She would've been your age by now.”

 

Yunho is looking down at the fire. No matter how many times he thinks back to that day the guilt never disappears.

 

“The Choi Brothers?” Changmin asks.

 

Yunho nods.

 

“The Choi Brothers.”


End file.
